Freedom Wings
by Evangeline Pearl
Summary: Two broken families, two broken children. They find solace in each other only to be ripped terribly apart. Even as they find each other again, freedom is but a broken, broken dream. Sometimes all one needs it the power of choice, a pair of wings, and a love to withstand anything. { M for potential triggers, be warned. One Shot. }
1. Freedom Wings

Her name is originally Watanabe Setsuka, and she is the cause of a shotgun wedding. She has her half-American mother's baby blues and silvery blood hair. She is a beautiful baby and, three months into her life, her pictures make her an infant model. Soon she is broadcast in various baby commercials and even stars as a toddler for a new drama series.

The fairytale ends when she turns three. Her beautiful, beautiful mother no longer looks the angelic beauty she once could have been. Her hair is thin and limp, her eyes dull and empty, and she looks more and more gaunt with each day. She runs five months after Setsuka's third birthday and never looks back to the child she left behind.

Her heartbroken father begins to waste away. He skips meals and calls in sick to work until he no longer has a job to call in to and only liquor fills the cupboards. All he ever does is sit on the couch and watch reruns of their family home videos.

Sometimes he makes her stand on the circular coffee table like she is a doll or a statue. He prohibits her from dressing, and she cannot leave the room without him on her heels. Soon he touches himself while he stares, and his eyes cloud ever so much each day. Then he tells her to smile and he always seems to find relief in the tears tracking down her smiling face.

He is still her father, and he still smiles gently at her. He still pats her head fondly on the good days, and he still kisses her cheek before bed. He is still her father, even if his dark eyes are twisted, his hands sticky, and his lips linger longer than she likes.

It is on her fourth birthday that things come to a head. He sits, staring like always seemed to be, but life seems to fill him with a new purpose. He pulls his zipper free and sets to work with a fervor she has never seen in him before. He pulls a gun from behind one of the couch pillows, and just when she is so terrified her legs give out, he puts a bullet through his skull. His semen hits her face for the first, and last, time.

Two days later, nothing has changed. The police walk in to the sight of a man gone insane and his petrified daughter. She becomes "So Sad Setsuka" because her mother could not find it in herself to love a man so obsessed with his love for her.

* * *

He is born Cain Griffin to a small-town, country-hick, lonely bar hostess that fell in love with a frivolous man. He wooed her and left her without looking back. He never saw the sad smile on her thin face or the hand on her stomach.

Oh, she wants the best for her little boy, but she cannot keep up with the work at the bar when she has a colicky five month old at home. When she is fired, the high school dropout has little other options. She tries to keep her work away from home, but the pay sucks and there is nowhere near enough motels in the world to keep her reputation from getting around.

So she tucks her four year old son into bed, kisses him goodnight, and tells him not to open the door no matter what he hears. She only wishes their ratty apartment walls were sound proof, and he knows something is weird when she locks the door on her way out.

Two months of moans, pants, grunts, and the occasional scream of agony, and his morbid curiosity wins out. He sits at the keyhole and watches his mother's body thrash as she is violated by a man nearly twice her size on a red-soaked bed.

He goes silent, cannot bear to use the voice he got from her after hearing _that_. He watches the stress and her lifestyle slowly eat away at his mother's body. Her cough grows worse, and soon her sheets are stained red for an entirely different reason.

She writes a letter on his sixth birthday and has him take it out to the mailbox. Before he has even shut it tight, he knows. The letter is still there when she dies hours later.

It is still there when social services comes to take him away. He becomes "Cain the Hooker's Son" because his father was too weak to face his fears and love the only woman that could ever love all his faults.

* * *

The two meet in a lonely, little room in a small orphanage. They have both been dumped there, and one look at each other, and they _know_. He knows she's an angel that lost her smile, and she can see the devil brewing in his eyes.

And in the deep, dark, lonely nights, they tell each other in soft whispers. She tells him of the look in her father's eyes, and the way he reached for her but never did touch her, the way she scavenged for food in rapidly emptying cabinets, and the way she cried herself to sleep in the bathtub after he had drunk himself into a stupor.

He tells her of the screams and the pain and the sickness, and the fear of someone someday opening that door and finding him there. He tells her of the feral rage he sometimes feels coiling tight in his chest, and the anger at his weak, weak mother.

All too soon, they are inseparable.

They sleep together, they bathe together, they ate together. She will not touch a morsel that does not come from his hands, and he refused to sleep unless she is in his arms.

They become "Cain and Setsuka" because they saw fear in each other's eyes and knew they were each other's salvation.

* * *

She is six and he is eight when a man and woman appear in the doorway separately, mirroring expressions of anguish in their eyes. Setsuka is ripped away from him screaming by a woman with long hair and the same beautiful eyes. He is dragged the other way by a man he has never seen before but recognizes the jaw and dark hair he sees in his own reflection.

They stare at each other over lonely, shuddering shoulders, and know this is not the end. It is a promise of love for each other, a vow of hatred for these parents that tore them apart, and a swear to one day find each other again.

She goes home to a suburban home with a fake, fake liveliness to it and too much sparkles to be real. There, she is pushed and prodded into learning her mother's ways and exceeding her warped expectations.

He goes home to mansion he has only seen the likes of in newspapers and fairytales. There, he is forced to learn all the mannerisms of "bred" society and the sort of hatred only politics and pompous fools could foster.

And their hatred stews in the dark and lonely days of solitude. She cannot eat, and he cannot sleep.

* * *

She is graduating elementary and he middle school when they come home to their parents' weird, weird smiles. It is that night that they see each other for the first time in nearly five years, and it is to be told they were going to become siblings.

It is both a blessing and a curse, a slice of heaven and hell, for them both. Wonderfully blissful because _finally_ they are together again, two shattered broken halves that fall right into each other's cracks to form a most beautiful thing. And the sort of jagged wounded malevolent anguish because their parents do not _understand_.

They do not know why their kids are so attached, why they cannot even _breathe_ when they are apart. Neither child speaks a word of their secret, secret world of two.

He is shipped off to military camp, and she to an all girl's academy, in hopes of ironing out their idiosyncrasies.

He gets sent back six months later for beating two superiors to a pulp. She follows soon after by expulsion for cutting off three girls' hair and having them streak through the courtyard.

Their parents do not know that he beat them because they were forcing _girls_ younger than his sister into hideous sexual acts. They do not know that she punished her classmates for _raping_ a ten year old from their neighboring all boy's school.

She looks at him, and he looks at her, and they know no one will ever understand. He picks up smoking cigarettes with a vengeance, and she gets piercings. He stares at the way her eyes shine, and she stares at the cigarette settled on his lip.

They get matching tattoos. A pair of wings split between the both of them.

They become "Cain and Setsuka Heel" because god be damned if anyone were to rip them apart again.

* * *

He drops out his junior year and gets his GED. He gets caught up in the wrong crowd, and she gets home schooled. Two years later, she gets own GED instead of completing high school.

She still cannot eat what he does not give her, and he still cannot sleep without her. But now, he cannot eat what she does not fix him, and she cannot sleep without seeing his face.

Soon though, the wrong crowd finds out just what kind of demon he really is. Sure, he is young, but he is big, bigger than most people. They learn _real_ fast not to mess with the younger Heel. She learns to fight in heels and he does not let up until he feels firsthand what it is like to get a stiletto to the chest.

He still has a scar. She kisses it every night.

He is big and he chain smokes, and he is terrifying. But he is also beautiful in all the eye-catching ways, and he gets yanked off the street for a sudden photoshoot. It is only the shining glimmer in her eyes that prevents them from getting a shiv to the gut, but he likes the digits on the paycheck.

Worlds cross the distance between their eyes, and she makes a plan.

He becomes "Cain Heel, Horror Specialist" because he _needs_ to take care of her and he hates relying on his father's filthy money.

* * *

Not even two days after his third job his father cuts them off. Supposedly, it is to make them squirm, to come home. They hear her mother is pregnant. Neither wants anything to do with it anymore.

So he takes the next job out of the country and ends up in Japan. Still, it is also the best thing they have ever done. They can be weird and as "in love" with each other as they want. No one knows them here. They can hold hands and stare into each other's eyes and glare at strangers.

They do not even look like siblings. A blood test and one license later, they no longer care. She does not even have to change her name.

The wings on their shoulders finally stop burning. The chains fall away. They can stop hiding.

She becomes "Setsuka Heel, Wife Extraordinaire" because they will never go back to that stifling mansion when a 1LDK apartment gives them all the freedom in the world.


	2. Drabble: To Learn How to Fly

Cain Heel's half-hidden face slowly turned towards the shop at his side, and soon the rest of him followed its direction. There was nothing particularly interesting about the store. Its windows were dark and only a faint shimmer of light glistening from underneath the door indicated its livelihood. Insignificant words, in glaring white letters, were etched across it.

However, what had caught his attention was a small advertisement stuck in the corner like a postcard.

A sigh of exasperation tickled his ears, and he tucked his hands sulkily into his coat pockets.

His little sister— _his beautiful, wonderful, and all things amazing, little sister_ —had marched onward several steps in what he knew was a desperate hope that he would eventually pick up after her again. But, catching onto to his pouting, she paused roughly twelve paces away and sighed airily again. She turned her head back to glance at him over her shoulder, and the silver chain dangling from her lip to her ear swaying with the motion.

Her heeled boots clacked against concrete as she turned to fully face him, and the chain links attached to them jingled like tiny bells. Even in his mind's eye, he could see her cocking out a hip and laying her hand over the hem of her dangerously short shorts, the very tip of her painted thumbnail dipping under the belt in a way that was uniquely _hers_. "Nii-san," she crowed from her place, half-pleading, "You are going to make us late."

Through experience (and intuition), Cain knew without having to look that the scum of society were slowly creeping out of the very woodwork to get a good look at her.

His sister's naturally white-blond hair and silvery blue-green eyes already set her apart. The daring outfits she wore only served to emphasize her figure and often had so many heads turning he was _absolutely positive_ that she was the cause to more than one car accident. That one guy's head had been turned nearly a hundred degrees.

He narrowed his eyes just remembering it.

Either way, Setsuka Heel was beautiful, and she damn well knew it too. She _prowled_ everywhere she went on light feet, and she decked herself in silver chains and nick knacks. Most of the time, she exposed more of her body than was covered.

Cain never discouraged her.

He knew she could handle herself. Sure, he had made her into a spoiled princess, but she was _his_ and it was his prerogative to keep her happy. After all, she could have stolen any heart she so chose but had settled for the one that was already hers to begin with. There was very little she ever wished for, and this was something she enjoyed.

If she wanted to flaunt herself on his arm, who was he to deny her that?

Besides, it was something of a sick pleasure. Somewhat like holding food just out of a starving man's reach, or dangling bait before a wolf only to have them discover they were separated by a glass wall. These creeps could eyeball her all they wanted, they could stare till their eyes fell out, and she would never even _glance_ their way.

She only had eyes for _him_. His baby sister was everything she was— _so beautiful, ruthless, so brilliant, so unmatched_ —for _him_ alone. And everything was right in Cain's world so long as that remained true.

For him, she gave her all. To him, she was his savoir, his angel. For everyone else, she was unattainable. He filled up every vacant space within her heart and mind, just as she did his, and there was nothing in this world that could change that.

However, that did not mean he was pleased with the filth eyeing his little (not so little anymore) girl like a piece of meat.

With that in mind, Cain tore his gaze from the object of his attention and turned a vivid, _murderous_ glare on all the riffraff creeping into what he had long since established as her protective bubble. A most effective deterrent, it had every last rat scampering for cover under his watchful eye. Even those not aware of the glance were rushing across streets and into buildings to get away from his oppressive aura.

Shifting his gaze to hers, he shook aside his bangs and sent her a pleading _look_. It was nothing immediately criminal, but she no doubt recognized the unholy gleam in his eyes and immediately shook her head. She lifted an artful brow when the line of his mouth shortened into something half-resembling a pout and laughed a little.

"Nii-san," she started in a tone that was meant to be firm but sounded far too defeated for her liking, "I've said it before and I'll say it again. Your body is no longer yours alone."

He turned so his shoes pointed towards her, and his expression softened further with desire, but she did not waver.

"Absolutely not," she shook her head and raised her chin in defiance, "You are an actor now, nii-san, and you know the fuss they made about the other one."

Cain frowned. They were cut of similar cloth, and he knew she could stick her ground just as fastidious as he. He took a purposeful step towards her and opened his arms, eyes widening just a touch behind his hair.

She turned away and crossed her arms with a huff, "You are too old to be acting like a spoilt child."

He closed the distance between them in three large steps and sealed his arms around her waist, just underneath her own. Resting his chin on her shoulder, he nuzzled her throat with his cheek and nose. Then he lifted his head to hum her name, "Setsu."

Choking on her words, Setsuka trembled in his hold and her hands dropped to grasp his forearms. Still, she shook her head, though frantically this time, and pursed her lips shut, "You cannot have visible markings, nii-san."

He squeezed her around the middle and let his larger frame drape over her back like a heavy cloak. "They have makeup and whatnot for that," he said plaintively into her ear, then he rubbed his head against the top of hers, "Setsu."

She knew how well he liked the concealers—about as much as little girls liked mud pies—and sighed at him. They both knew she was going to cave, there was very little she could she could deny her brother after all, but she gave one last token refusal and shook her head.

"I'll let you have another piercings," Cain offered in a slightly deeper tone, dropping all hints of whining, and pulled her snugger against his chest. His hold almost lifted her off the ground.

That made her pause, whatever other denial she had prepared promptly dying on the tip of her tongue, and she turned her head up and to the side to catch his eye. That was one of the last things she had expected to hear from her brother's mouth. She had done the first round without letting anyone know and had had to fight tooth and nail to get the rest. Humming thoughtfully, she asked, "You really want one?"

He nodded quickly at her and rose to his full height, releasing her so she could turn to face him.

"You. . ." she trailed off, eyes narrowing, then continued in a softer voice, "You would let me draw it?"

His eyes widened slightly, then similarly narrowed, and he nodded at her without hesitation.

She hummed again and lifted her arms to loosely clasp her fingers behind his neck, arching backward to see him. Like so, she admired her brother's handsome face and tilted her head to the side. His hands reached around to splay flat against the curve of her lower back, and she curiously looked up into his eyes, raising an eyebrow, "You would let me tattoo my name?"

Cain bent to press his forehead against hers and solemnly swore, "Proudly."

"Then we will pick up a kit on the way home," she said, smirking at him, "But only if we are not late."

Before she could blink, her brother dropped all contact with her except for a gloved hand around her delicate wrist, and he was marching purposely past her and towards their next appointment. His determination now geared to ensure they arrived on time, and he was so focused he almost did not hear her claling for him.

"Nii-san!" Setsuka finally snapped and twisted her arm so her hand slid into his palm. Yanking back on his hold, she glowered, "I am too short for you."

Finding her breathless and heaving to keep up with his longer stride, he winced and pulled her to him. He brushed his nose against her temple and murmured a word of apology against her skin. She was _perfect_ , and there should be no doubt in her mind about that.

She shook her head with a calming croon and slid a hand under his coat to hook her fingers in his back pocket. Slipping all the closer to her side, she smiled up at him from her place halfway under his jacket, and he led them onward.

Cain glanced down at his little sister, casting an appraising eye over her long white lashes and the glossy pink of her parted mouth, and rubbed his thumb against her hip. She claimed red lipstick made her look like a common slut, and he silently agreed, but then again, pink suited her better anyway.

Their footsteps rang in his ears for several paces, and he sometimes wondered what it would be like to chain her to him and never let her go. For all that he did not mind people looking, some liked to get the misconception that looking meant they could touch and their attempts at getting too close infuriated him. She was precious and pure, even in her corruption, and she was the light in the dark. He was far too selfish to relinquish her, even as much as he feared his darkness would overwhelm her.

"Neh, nii-san?" Setsuka broke his increasingly darkening thoughts with a purr, "have you decided on that offer?"

Immediately, he thought back to the unusual request he had received through his branch agency. He said branch because it was technically an affiliate and lesser branch of a larger agency out of Japan. The job required he move overseas for nearly half a year to film a movie, "Iie."

"Aw," she pouted up at him, her pink mouth curling into a frown, "It would be fun."

Cain rolled his eyes behind his curtain of hair. She was one of the smartest people he knew—sixteen and already certified as a manager—yet she fooled the entire world into thinking her an airheaded bimbo with that pout of hers. He wondered just who was the actor between the two of them. "Ja, fun."

The infliction of his voice told her precisely what he thought of that, and this time she was the one to roll her eyes. "So sarcastic, nii-san," Setsuka bumped her head against his shoulder, "It would be fun watching you trump their best at their own game."

Cain shrugged loosely, conceding to the possibility but reserving his thoughts until he came to a more conclusive standpoint. She allowed him that, and the rest of their walk to the studio was made in harmonious silence.

The wings on their shoulders burned.


End file.
